Fall in love with easy shots. Better passing earns better shots. Great passing pleases the eye. Consistent passing smells like victory.
Selfishness, sloth, bad decisions, and poor execution inform bad basketball. Basketball offense tells a story; passes supply the verbs. Don't bore the audience with passes into the 8th row or dribbling the air from the ball. The beautiful game features multiple actions. Passers serve teammates; passing makes memories. Shame shuns passing.
"Only the penitent man will pass."
Why did you or didn't you make that pass? What did you or didn't you see?
Willing passers create ball movement and stress defenders, who must cover more of the court. The highest points per possession (above) comes from scoring off cuts...the jazz of cutting and passing. When players won't make the right pass, was it vision, inability, or selfishness?
Excellent passers create opportunities without turnovers (high assist-to-turnover ratio) and create "hockey" assists (above).
Effective passers understand creating better angles, get scorers possession in their spots, use of space and time, and deliver catchable 'scoring' passes. Good timing with bad location (passes to knees, to off hand) hinders shooters.
Receivers are responsible to "get in the picture" when "the ball is a camera." Sinking (above) helps passers find receivers.
Know when NOT to pass.
-Some players handle the ball poorly in transition, so their catch in the open court begs a turnover. Don't...pass...them...the ball. #PaddleHands
-Non-shooters shouldn't get the ball when there is a better alternative.
-Little guards cutting into the trees invite blocked shots. Don't encourage bad passes by receiving them in dark alleys.
-Coach Knight said, "just because I want you on the floor, doesn't mean I want you to shoot." The corollary is to "know your receiver."
-If someone is a poor free throw shooter, hide them in crunch time.
-A player might "seem" open, but a help defender may lurk. Beware the help defender.
In 'youth' and high school games, watch for the "Steal Me Pass" (left) of wing to top, worse still because it usually becomes an opposition score. And beware the "Bermuda Triangle" top to post pass through a sea of hands. It's not just age that turns coaching hair gray.
Lagniappe: Quotes relating to passing:
"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson
“Passing is your best weapon against man to man. Dribble penetration is your best weapon against zone” – Bob Knight
“Praise behavior that you want repeated.” – Dean Smith
“A key basketball skill is imagery. The best players “see” situations before they happen so they can be prepared.” – Dr. Jack Ramsay
“The extra pass and the extra effort on defense always get the job done.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“The pass is a very powerful team builder; whereas the dribble can destroy the spirit of teams and crack the foundation of team play.” – Kevin Eastman
“There is a direct correlation between the number of ball reversals and defensive breakdowns” – Kevin Eastman
"It doesn’t matter who scores the points. It’s who gets the ball to the scorer.” – Larry Bird
“The quality of the pass leads directly to the quality of the shot.” – Pete Carril
"Basketball is a simple game. Your goal is penetration, get the ball close to the basket, and there are three ways to do that. Pass, dribble and offensive rebound.” – Phil Jackson